October 2019

Wed
16
Oct
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Saeman Wins National Teaching Award

WASHINGTON DC–Sauk Trails Elementary teacher Rebecca Saeman is a recipient of a Presidential Teaching Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the White House announced on Oct. 15. Four awards are given to teachers in each state and US territory.

Saeman is a mathematics and reading intervention teacher. She worked as a math specialist at Park and Northside starting in 2008, where she worked until 2010. She then worked at both Northside and Sauk Trail. Since 2012, she has been solely at Sauk Trail. She was also a finalist for the award in 2018.

Teachers are nominated for the award by their state’s department of education. The award is given to K-12 teachers along with $10,000 from the National Science Foundation. 

Established in 1983, PAEMST is the highest award given by the US Government to K-12 teachers of mathematics and science, including computer science. Since its inception, more than 4,400 awards have been distributed. 

Mon
14
Oct
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County Board to Hold Public Meeting on Proposed 2020 Budget

DANE COUNTY–The Dane County Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting to take public testimony on the proposed 2020 Dane County budget on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in room 201 of the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Madison. The public is invited to testify for or against items in the County Executive’s proposed budget. Testimony is also welcome on any amendments to that proposal. 

The proposed 2020 Dane County budget authorizes a total of $653.7 million for combined operating and capital expenditures, financed by $385.8 million in outside revenues, existing resources and borrowing; $68.2 million in sales tax; and $191.9 million in county tax levy funds.  The proposed budget results in an increase in property taxes of $21.85 on the average Madison home (valued at approximately $300,967). 

Thu
10
Oct
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Council Asks State, Feds to Address Gun Violence

MIDDLETON–The Middleton Common Council approved a resolution Oct. 1 imploring state and federal governments to take emergency action to address gun violence. The resolution was sent to all of Middleton’s respective legislators along with a letter from police chief Chuck Foulke, which calls for change which could have prevented the attempted mass shooting at WTS Paradigm in Middleton a little over a year ago. 

The resolution adopted by the council calls for legislation creating a red flag law or “extreme risk protective order,” universal background checks, a ban on assault rifles and high capacity magazines and reinstitution of a 48 hour waiting period to purchase firearms.

The resolution points to Gov. Tony Evers’ challenge to the legislature to take up such proposals. 

Thu
10
Oct
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Aldachach Not Competent to Stand Trial

MADISON–A former Middleton High School student accused last year of sexually assaulting a coed was found not competent to stand trial Friday by Dane County judge.

Circuit Judge Susan Crawford suspended criminal proceedings against Mohammad K. Aldachach, 19, and ordered him to undergo outpatient treatment to restore his competency.

Assistant District Attorney William Brown and Aldachach’s attorney, Mark Eisenberg, each told Crawford that they agreed with conclusion of Craig Schoenecker, M.D., a court-appointed psychiatrist. Schoenecker interviewed the former MHS senior and found that Aldachach couldn’t assist with his defense against charges of second-degree sexual assault of a child.

Aldachach answered, “Yes,” when Crawford asked him if he agreed with the doctor’s assessment of his competency.

Competency reports are confidential.

Thu
10
Oct
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MAGN Asks: What’s Going On?

Editor’s Note: The following story is the first in a two part series regarding the formation of an opposition group to the possible expansion of the Middleton Municipal Airport. The group has filed two open records requests, the first in June and a second in September. 

MIDDLETON–“What’s going on?” was how an opponent of airport expansion characterized why she became involved in the Middleton Area Good Neighbors.

Area residents concerned about the possibility of Middleton’s airport becoming too noisy and busy to live close to formed MAGN this summer as the city began developing its first airport master plan.

Pam Krill, an attorney with Godfrey and Kahn, S.C., which represents the approximate 250 MAGN members, said the group has two goals.

Thu
10
Oct
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Palm Oil

I am a label reader. I cook mostly from scratch, but sometimes I want something prepackaged, particularly snack food. 

I started reading labels because I didn’t want preservatives, dyes and artificial flavors in my food. Then, I also wanted to avoid high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and now, palm oil. 

The label reading began because I personally didn’t want to ingest processed and potentially harmful chemicals. The palm oil, however, is strictly about the environment and the destruction of habitat. Orangutans, which were declared the closest relative to humans about a decade ago, are the most hard hit by the harvest of palm oil. 

This is something that came to my attention a few years ago, and prompted me to stop buying most peanut butter, including those proclaiming to be “natural.” I also had to give up Girl Scout cookies much to my great dismay and sadness. No more Thin Mints for me. 

Thu
10
Oct
Wed
09
Oct
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Volleyball community rallies around Middleton's Ben White

MILWAUKEE — Scott Buros looked around at the sea of green that had enveloped Whitefish Bay High School.

Sixteen of the state’s top volleyball teams had gathered for one of the year’s best invitationals last Saturday. But during a break from the digs, sets and spikes, Buros noticed something substantially different.

“People are just a lot more friendly today,” said Buros, a senior outside hitter at Middleton.

He was right.

Years from now, few will remember who won the 2019 Whitefish Bay Invitational. Instead, it will be remembered as the day the state’s volleyball community came together in support of Ben White.

White, Middleton’s popular, passionate and highly-involved head coach, recently learned he has lymphoma. Brad Kuehl, the head coach at Nicolet and a close friend of White’s, decided this was the perfect tournament to support his friend.

Wed
09
Oct
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Middleton golfers headed back to state

Becky Halverson insists she wasn’t worried.

But there’s no doubt, Middleton’s girls golf coach feels a lot better about her team today than she did last weekend.

The Cardinals won the WIAA Division 1 DeForest Sectional Tuesday with a 324-team score. That was 33 strokes better than runner-up Waunakee (357) and gave Middleton the second-best score in the state’s six sectionals.

Just four days earlier, Middleton won the Baraboo Regional, but struggled with a season-worst 340. After rebounding at sectionals, the Cardinals now head to the state tournament Oct. 14-15 at University Ridge as one of the two favorites along with Brookfield Central.

“I wasn’t totally worried. I was pretty confident in the girls, actually really confident in them,” Halverson said Tuesday night. “I knew they weren’t going to shoot another 340. That’s not the norm for us. I think we got back to playing like we can (at sectionals).”

Tue
08
Oct
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Tennis Cardinals second at Big 8 meet

MADISON — Terry Geurkink had no interest in crunching numbers.

Geurkink, Middleton’s girls tennis coach, knew his team was in a battle with Madison West for the Big Eight Conference championship last Thursday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. But Geurkink’s concentration was spent on the matches, not the scoreboard.

“I didn't know the score and I didn't want to know,” Geurkink said. “I was just focused on making sure we played to our potential.”

Middleton did just that. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that wasn’t quite good enough to knock off the mighty Regents.

West finished with 42 points and edged Middleton (41) for the title. Madison Memorial was third (37) and Verona was fourth (33).

The key match came at No.1 doubles, where West’s Camille Vadas and Sophie Knigge downed Middleton’s Jessica Pientka and Noor Rajpal, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, for the title.

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